This invention relates to a machining center in which various kinds of tools are supplied and stored in compliance with the operation of numerically controlled (NC) machine tools, etc.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a machining center chain having pairs of link plates, in which an attachment for holding a tool is arranged at each of the link plates of the pair. According to the present invention, this can be done without fixing a tool storing magazine between the pair of oppositely faced link plates of the machining center chain, thereby allowing the chain to achieve a light weight, and further giving significant versatility in storing various kinds of tools.
In the conventional arrangement of the pair of oppositely faced link plates in a machining center chain, a tool storing magazine M as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is installed between the plates.
That is, in FIG. 1, a pair of oppositely faced link plates P and P' of one or more chains C (a single row of chain being available) engaged with a sprocket S have been provided with holding holes into which a magazine M is fitted. The magazine M has been fitted to and held by said holding holes, and has been provided with a tapered hole H into which a tapered protrusion of a tool T is fitted. Said magazine M is fixed by snap rings, etc. so as to avoid being removed from the link plates P and P'.
Therefore, since the machining center chain C is moved along with the number of magazines M being held between each of a pair of oppositely faced link plates, the total weight of the assembly includes the weight of the chain C itself, added to the weight of a number of the magazines. Consequently, the motive power needed to operate the chain must necessarily be quite large. In addition to the above, the protrusion of the tool may be of various end shapes or socket lengths, so that even if the taper and diameter of the tool protrusion are not varied, an entire magazine must be replaced each time the end shape or the length of the protrusion is varied. Due to this fact, the prior art requires that several types and numbers of magazines be prepared and replaced during normal operation.